Big Blue View
Despite the New York Giants fielding one of the absolute worst offenses in the NFL over the last two seasons, it was the defensive side of the ball that got the biggest injection of talent this past offseason.
The Giants’ inability to stop opponents when it mattered rankled John Mara enough that it got a specific call-out, despite the looming mess at the quarterback position. And so the Giants added two of the top free agent veterans in Jevon Holland and Paulson Adebo, as well as selecting two of the 2025 draft’s best pass rushers (at their respective positions) in edge Abdul Carter and defensive tackle Darius Alexander.
The hope is that the infusion of talent would give the Giants one of the best, most athletic, and deepest defenses in the NFL. From there, it would fall to defensive coordinator Shane Bowen to make it all work.
Bowen spoke to the media before Wednesday’s practice, praising the growth of his young players, as well as talking about the challenges of getting them all on the field at the same time.
There are plenty of threads to follow as Shane Bowen builds the Giants’ defense. But one way or another, they all seem to come back to rookie edge defender Abdul Carter. The third overall pick has garnered rave reviews from everyone who’s faced him in camp as well as observers from around the media landscape.
The Giants’ defensive coordinator is no different, and seems incredibly impressed with his newest weapon. Notably, Bowen is as encouraged by Carter’s instincts as his raw athletic tools.
“Obviously, the talent shows up out there on the field,” Bowen said. “I think he’s a very instinctive player. Finds ways to get to the football. He’s got a natural feel to dip, to lean, to bend. You see those traits show up out there on the practice field. He’s continuing to work consistency day in and day out. With the effort, the technique, the fundamentals. But I like his versatility and what he’s going to be able to bring for our defense.”
Perhaps the most exciting — but not often discussed, at least compared to what he’s doing in practice — aspect of Carter’s development is that he’s truly just scratching the surface of his potential. He started his career at Penn State as an off-ball linebacker and only has one year under his belt as a true edge defender. So in addition to learning how to play in the NFL, Carter is also still learning how to play his position at a high level.
“Yeah, he’s got a history of playing off the ball, so I think that helps him.” Bowen said. “Obviously, the ability to rush different spots. There’s a lot of things he can do, and he does really well. It’s just a matter of making sure as a coaching staff we do a good job not overloading him. Obviously being a rookie, continuing to focus on the techniques...
